On the Necessity of Practical Aesthetics

Practical aesthetics, as one of the most important aesthetic currents with distinct characteristics and vigor, came into stage during "The Aesthetic Discussion" in the 20th century in China. Impacted by Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, triggered by the ideological liberation movement in the 1980s and influenced by the dialectics of humanitarianism of the practical philosophy in Yugoslavia, practical aesthetics was first put forward by Li Zehou, promoted by Zhu Guangqian, and developed by Jiang Kongyang and Liu Gangji. In the past 20 years, confronted with the criticism of antipractical aesthetic theories, practical aesthetics has been revised and enriched by Zhang Yuneng and Zhu Liyuan. As a result, practical aesthetics is based on Marx's practical theory all the way on one hand, and, it continuously keeps up with the times and gains its vigor on the other hand. It is the necessary outcome of the development of both practical aesthetics and Chinese society.